


Reciprocity

by Interiorwinter



Series: Work me a little magic [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Attraction, M/M, Self-Denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 13:57:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18718447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interiorwinter/pseuds/Interiorwinter
Summary: Aaron Hotchner discovers he's the jealous type when Gideon returns to the BAU.





	Reciprocity

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first attempt at fanfic so I would appreciate some feedback. I am totally inspired by the amazing blythechild who writes better than most novelists and the super hot prose of DarkJediQueen and Deejaymil. I can only dream of ever being that good, but I guess I have start somewhere so here is the beginning, S1E1

It was raining in Seattle. It was always raining in Seattle, Hotch thought as the jet touched down. In the two years he had spent heading up the Seattle office he learned to never underestimate the value of a good raincoat and that the smell of damp wool lingers. During the flight they had reviewed the case thoroughly and Hotch had watched Gideon test Spencer Reid, asking him to justify his conclusions, pushing the young man to explain his choices in detail. He was fairly certain Reid was trying his hardest to impress Gideon on his first case back and Aaron felt a twinge of impatience. No, that wasn’t quite accurate, he reflected. He hated to admit it but he was cross with Reid for wanting Gideon’s approval. Spencer Reid didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, he was a remarkable asset to the unit and working with him for the last six months Aaron had come to appreciate his unique talents. Now Gideon was back and Reid was bouncing around like a puppy waiting for the slightest crumb of attention from the senior profiler. Hotch knew he was probably being a little harsh on Reid, but that didn’t stop him feeling irritated by the young agent’s obvious hero worship.

As he introduced the team to his former colleagues Hotch felt his annoyance spark brightly again.

“This is special agent Gideon, Special agent Morgan our expert on obsessional crimes. Special agent Reid.”

  
“Dr. Reid” Gideon corrected him. Hotch’s eyes flashed dangerously.

  
“Dr. Reid. Our expert on, well, everything.”

Hotch tried to shrug off Gideon’s interference but it rankled him. He was aware that some agents might not see in Reid in the way the rest of the BAU did, but that didn’t mean he needed to coerce them into respecting the young man. Ten minutes in Reid’s company and it would be impossible not to respect his intellect, longer and it was impossible not to feel affection for him.  
Gideon expressed an interest in visiting the site of the last murder and he sent Morgan to accompany him. Hotch took Reid to interview the victim’s brother.

Aaron felt his moodiness lifting in the car as they drove to Heather’s house. Spencer was chattering away about possible ways that the victim might have encountered her abductor and Aaron was only half listening, just the sound of Spencer’s voice soothed his irritability. There was no point being angry at Gideon, he was just trying to save Reid from unkind comments and sneers, but until now that had been Hotch’s responsibility. He resented Gideon’s intrusion, but he understood it. There was something about Spencer Reid that brought out all Hotch’s protective instincts and he assumed Gideon felt the same. He even found himself following Gideon’s lead and introducing Spencer to David Woodland as “Dr. Reid.”

It was later, while he was waiting on an address for the possible second killer that Reid confronted him.

  
“Does senior management want a field assessment on Gideon?” Reid asked him and Hotch could hear Spencer’s anxiety.

  
“Don’t worry about it” he answered softly trying to reassure the young man, who looked uncomfortable quizzing Hotch but whose need to defend his friend and mentor was clearly something he was not going to back away from.

  
“Do you know why he always introduces me as Doctor Reid?”

  
Aaron sighed. He knew he should be pleased with the loyalty that Reid was showing Gideon, but something was stopping him and instead he felt the annoyance from earlier resurface.

  
“Because he knows that people see you as a kid and he wants to make sure that they respect you.”

  
“Do you see me as a kid?” Spencer asked unexpectedly. Aaron looked at him closely but Spencer was watching the fax machine intently.

  
“No Reid, I don’t see you as a kid.”

  
“What do you see me as then?” Spencer asked after a long pause, sensing that Hotch wasn’t going to elaborate further.

  
“Aren’t you on your way back to Slessman’s house to help Morgan.” Hotch asked, deliberately avoiding the question. Spencer raised his eyes until he was looking directly at his superior and Aaron felt his pulse quicken as he met Spencer’s gaze.

  
“Yes,” he replied and walked away leaving Aaron to exhale sharply. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath.

By putting himself in physical danger, Gideon had not shown sound judgement, but his actions had saved Heather’s life, so Hotch felt he couldn’t be too critical of the man. He would have probably done the same thing himself. He asked Morgan’s opinion after it was all over and they were waiting on the pier. Morgan’s assessment matched his own, the girl was alive because of Gideon, and that was all that really mattered.  
“Haley and I were looking at a book of baby names, guess what Gideon means in Hebrew.” Hotch said to Morgan as they waited for the all clear to leave the scene.

  
“Mighty Warrior” answered Reid as he wandered past. “Do you know what Aaron means?”

  
“Enlighten us genius” Morgan teased.

  
“It means “mountain of strength” Spencer said, looking meaningfully at Aaron before walking away.

Spencer slept most of the way back to Virginia, and Hotch glanced at him every now and then, taking in his long, lean form as he lay on the jet’s couch. He reminded Hotch of an image he had seen once in a book on Pre-Raphaelite art, all innocence and abandonment. For the briefest of moments he wondered what it would feel like to wake in the morning to the sight of Spencer like that, before the total inappropriateness of that thought slammed into him and the air caught in his throat. Aaron spent the rest of the flight studiously not looking at Reid.

When they arrived back at Quantico he went straight to his office to prepare the paperwork he would need to work on tomorrow. He looked up at the sound of a knock and saw Reid leaning in his doorway.

  
“What is it Reid?”

  
“Can we talk, it won’t take long”

  
“Take a seat” Aaron motioned to a chair in front of his desk. Reid moved into the office, closing the door behind him.

  
“It’s about Gideon” Spencer began, before Hotch interrupted him.

  
“I told you not to worry Reid. I’m not going to write an adverse assessment on Gideon’s actions in the field. While I might not agree with the risk he took, it’s difficult to argue with the outcome of his actions.”

  
“So you won’t let your jealousy get in the way of writing a fair report?”

  
“My what!” Hotch spluttered and he was on his feet in one fluid motion, staring menacingly across the desk. Spencer didn’t flinch, as if he was expecting exactly that reaction.

  
“Don’t tell me you haven’t realized why Gideon rejoining the unit makes you so upset. You’ve been grumpy ever since we landed in Seattle. At first I thought it was because you wanted the career opportunity Gideon’s absence presented and you resented him returning, although there was also some inner conflict there because he was your mentor. Then I worked out it was much simpler than that. It was about me.”

  
Aaron felt a cold panic as the realization of the truth of Spencer’s words hit him and he sank back into his chair. Spencer was looking at him curiously

  
“You honestly hadn’t worked it out, had you?”

  
“I have no idea what you mean Reid” Hotch said quietly, but he couldn’t conceal the resignation that colored his voice.

  
“No, I don’t think you did. But you do now, I can hear it in your voice. It’s okay Hotch. Gideon recruited me straight to the BAU and I’ll always see him as kind of a father figure. I know you’re competitive, but honestly, I admire you both, in different ways, for different reasons. I’m not a prize you have to do battle for.”

  
“You’d be a prize worth having” Aaron let slip without thinking. It was Spencer’s turn to register a look of disbelief.  
There was a long pause when neither man spoke, and then Spencer stood up and moved towards Aaron.

  
“I got it wrong, didn’t I? he said slowly, the unexpectedness of Spencer ever being wrong affected his ability to speak. “I thought this was about professional jealousy, you were competing with Gideon to try and out mentor him, but that’s not what this is about at all, is it Aaron?” Hotch flinched at the use of his name. Spencer moved until he was standing directly in front of him.

  
“I asked you yesterday what you saw me as and you wouldn’t answer. I think I know now how you want to see me. You want to see me on my knees,” Spencer dropped to his knees in between Aaron’s legs “with my hands gripping your hips and my mouth wrapped around your cock as you thrust in and out”.

Aaron moaned softly as the image Spencer described formed itself in his imagination. Spencer lay his hands on Aaron’s thighs and gripped purposefully looking up into the dark intensity of his bosses eyes.

  
“I can give you that Aaron, if that’s what you want. I’d gladly give you that..”

  
“No!” Aaron wrenched himself out of his chair and away from Spencer. Spencer remained on his knees but sat back against his heels.

  
“Tell me that’s not what you want and I’ll leave now.”

  
“I can’t” whispered Aaron. Spencer could see the older man trembling as he fought to regain his composure.

  
“Then come back here and let me touch you.” Spencer’s voice held the edge of something Hotch had never heard in it before, it wasn’t a request, it was a demand.

  
“I can’t do that either. Jesus Christ Spencer, a few days ago I was helping Haley to choose baby names. I don’t understand where this is coming from. I’ve never wanted anyone else…” Aaron’s voice trailed off as his confusion threatened to overwhelm him. Spencer got to his feet but made no attempt to move closer to his boss. Spencer watched Hotch carefully for a few moments. If Aaron had been more in control he would have noticed the look of calculated decision that flitted across Spencer’s beautiful face.

  
“It’s okay Hotch” Spencer said, deliberately trying to return a sense of something professional to their exchange. “I’m sorry I should never have… it’s just I think about you a lot, and for a moment I thought you might…” Spencer broke off abruptly and wheeled towards the door, opening it hurriedly before rapidly disappearing out through the doorway.

  
Aaron gripped the edge of his desk to steady himself before collapsing back into his office chair.  
What the hell had just happened? How could he have allowed himself to slip up like that, to admit to Reid his desire? How could he even have that desire? Aaron felt as if everything he thought knew about himself had shattered and the splinters of his identity were falling into somewhere dark and unknown.


End file.
